Leaving bags unattended in London

[DyslexicPoster]

I was a child during the IRA bombings in London. It was always drilled me that you notice bags left unattended. As far as I was aware this hasn't changed and its standard to report unattended bags.

Yet today a woman sat next to me a fast food place, then disappeared leaving her shopping and handbag. I wondered if she had gone to the loo but who leaves their handbag in London on a seat? She had no food on her table either so not like she was caught short mid cup of tea.

I got up to look for her, she was totally out of sight for about two mintes so I left with my kid and told the security gaurd. I'm 99.99% sure she went to the loo. But seriously who leaves their handbag unattended? Totally out of your line of sight for more them mere seconds?

I just didn't feel safe left next to the bags 1) anyone could nick it and suspicion would fall to me 2) I had more than a fleeting flashback to my childhood and bombs.

Are Londoners really this trusting of fellow Londoners with their handbags?

“See it, say it, sorted”

The advice is if you see unattended bags, report it.

Afaics the OP is not saying that any current risk is IRA related, but that that is when it was drilled into her.

The advice was renewed after 7/7.

And remains current.

Though the behaviour of the British public is often bizarre. There was that homophobic racist bomber a couple of decades ago: a series of live bombs left in bags. The one in Brixton was moved from bus stop to a side road before being reported to a security guard in Iceland, but not before the sports bag it was in had been nicked. The one in East London was out in a bucket of water and driven to the police station.

@VineRipened Afaics the OP is not saying that any current risk is IRA related, but that that is when it was drilled into her.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that, but OP's insistence (several times) that it's a London thing is bizarre.

That's been a standard "rule" for my whole life (I am 48). All over the UK - not just London.
I grew up regularly shopping in Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Oxford and throughout the 80s/90s bomb threats at train stations and shopping centres happened all the time.
The Milton Keynes ones were frequently Animal Liberation groups.
My mum worked for Boots in the 80s/90s/00s and had special training for bomb threats because of anti animal testing groups (and we lived in medium size town not a city).
Sad world we live in 🙁

She is clearly nuts and thick.
I would have reported it.

I would have reported it as well and in fact, I've done that in the past. I was brought up in Spain at a time when ETA was very active. Then I moved to London a few years before the Manchester bombings. When you've grown up continuously aware of the danger, you can't help being aware.

I suspect that person was from a country where they don't need to worry about theft and terrorism

I'm not from London or even from a city and rarely travel to any large city/ trainstation/ Airport, HOWEVER I am aware that an unattended bag is a possible threat and I would try and look round to try and match it someone but would definitely report it if noone returned it AND I'd be nervous until it was sorted.
I'm really glad the security guard took it seriously. And yeah it probably was all innocent and weird behaviour but it might not have been. That's not paranoia!

My experience was in London. I'm not saying it's just in London. There's bombings all over Europe.

It's just that I was IN London. But you can insert any major city. That's just where I was. I don't go any major city on a weekly / daily basis so I can't post about Manchester.

Even in my Newport it would be weird. I'm sure Manchester has people travel in daily to pick pocket? You'd know that goes on so not leave your handbag out of your view?

I also know its pretty unlikely to be a IRA bomb. I was in Belfast this September and I wasn't worried about the IRA. Its just that was the bombing I was closet to be killed in. Insert 7/7, 9/11 bombers but I wasn't there so it's less front in my mind. It's a tiny, tiny bit like ptsd, I'm triggered back to my experience, not a entire world view which would be more holistic.